Autrefois
by Yay Ninja Bob
Summary: FEMSLASH. BubblesButtercup. Bubbles' POV. Buttercup is such a romantic charmer, even her own sister is falling under her spell. Please review. CH 5 UP!
1. Chapter 1

**Autrefois**

_--  
A/N: I've been wanting to write this since completing my first Powerpuff Girl femslash, "Just Us." So I've finally done it. Yes, it's another Bubbles/Buttercup story, but this one will be longer and chaptered. Again, if the idea offends you, just don't read it. There will be lesbians. There will be incest. Because it's my story and that's what I want so HA._

_Also, I dedicate this first chapter to my snoogley Sofa King Danny. Because I love him and he's been a great source of encouragement for writing this._

_Lastly, the idea for this fanfic was inspired by Pink Martini's song "Autrefois," hence the title of the fic.  
--_

**Chapter 1**

My sister Buttercup came out as a lesbian on our fourteenth birthday.

We were decorating the house for our birthday party which would take place later that afternoon. Blossom was talking cheerfully about how the Professor would meet her boyfriend for the first time that day. And of course, she handled the term "boyfriend" as if it simply meant "boy friend," as in it was merely a friend who was a boy. Because Professor had made it explicitly clear that "boy friends" were allowed and "boyfriends" weren't. Not until we were at least sixteen anyways. However, even though Blossom was careful to refer to him as a "boy friend," the truth was that she considered him as much more. At least that's what she had shared with me three nights ago after she came home all giddy by the fact that the two of them had just shared their first kiss, and making me pinky promise not to tell anyone else about it.

Blossom explained that her special guy friend would be arriving to the party an hour before it was set to begin to help with the finishing touches with decorations. And that's when Buttercup brought up her girlfriend. And she didn't say "girlfriend" as if it were "girl friend," nor did I detect any slight hint of an attempt at disguising the term in anyway as Blossom did with "boy friend." She said "girlfriend" and meant it just that way.

"Well, _my girlfriend _is coming at two o'clock, because that's what the invitation says, and she, unlike somebody, can _read_," she muttered.

I still don't know if she meant the comment to be heard by me, Blossom and the Professor. At the moment, I didn't know if either Blossom or Professor heard it at all. If they did, they seemed to pretend like they didn't. There was a prolonged silence after the words escaped her mouth. Neither my sister nor my dad said anything, and I wasn't sure if I should. The image of Buttercup's newest friend, Janie, popped into my head. I looked to Professor and Blossom and wondered if the same image of that smiley, friendly strawberry-blonde girl popped into their minds as well.

After the party, while my sisters, the Professor and I cleaned up, I learned that at least the Professor heard Buttercup's comment. After throwing out the trash and returning inside our home, I heard him tell Buttercup: "It's just like boyfriends. You're too young for any type of relationship. Boy _or _girl, Sweetie."

I remember Buttercup looked at me with that common angry face, but there was a weakness to it at the same time. I guess she really liked that Janie girl, and didn't like the Professor telling her she couldn't have a relationship with her. But it's not like that stopped her. Buttercup and Janie's relationship lasted about a year long, until the girl had to move across the country with her family. The Professor was aware of it, and he didn't appreciate it all that much. There were a lot of nights of fighting and screaming between him and Buttercup during that time. Most of the screaming was Buttercup's doing. Most of just about _everything _was Buttercup's doing.

It wasn't as if he was angry at my sister for being gay, but Buttercup tended to treat it that way. According to Buttercup, every little lecture or slap on the wrist made by him was due to her sexuality and how he despised her because of it. I wish she could see how open the Professor truly was. You hear lots of horror stories about kids and coming out to their parents. Some would kill to have such a kind father like the Professor. I guess it wasn't all too surprising or incredibly shocking in anyway to him that Buttercup liked girls. I don't think it was to anybody. That's why nobody said anything at that muttered comment she made. It was shrugged off as if she said something as simple as "I like chocolate cake," rather than "I like girls." Buttercup's quick, muttered comment was just a reaffirmation of what they already suspected.

To me, it was a very unexpected surprise. It wasn't so much a surprise, as if I never believed my sister to one to like girls; it was more of a realization that such a thing like sexuality existed in the world. Liking boys and liking girls. The idea hadn't crossed my naïve mind very often until that moment in my life. But was something like that truly that big of a deal?

I grew up at a slower pace than my sisters. I found the occasional boy cute, but the idea of doing anything with him just filled me with giggles. I had no interest in having a lover. Not for a long time. There were a lot of guys who would give me love notes and candy and ask me out on dates. I felt really awful when I turned them down, but I felt even worse when I accepted that very first, pathetic plea for a date by a guy, and only "led him on" and broke the poor boy's heart. After that, I turned every guy down from the start. They usually understood, although there were occasions when they didn't.

My sister Buttercup first beat up a guy on my behalf when we were fifteen-years-old. There was this kid named George who asked me out on a date everyday for two months. Everyday I said "No, but thanks anyway, Georgie," and tried to give him the nicest smile I could manage. But everyday, he tried to get closer to me, taking an extra step my way, or brushing himself against me when he left. But I'd keep that smile. What was he going to do to me? I was a Powerpuff Girl. It wasn't like he could ever do _anything_.

But about the fiftieth time he asked me out, Buttercup was at my side, and she didn't like the way he grabbed my hand after I tried to walk away, and in the blink of an eye the poor guy was unconscious on the floor. Before I could react, she grabbed my hand and led me away, yelling at me throughout the entire trip to our first period class.

"Don't you _ever_ sit back and let a guy touch you like that _ever_ again! _Do you hear me?_"

I quickly nodded and tried to keep from tearing up, "I'm sorry." I hated when she yelled at me.

Her face instantly softened, "It's okay. Just… don't let it happen again, okay?"

I nodded again. It wouldn't happen again. From then on, the boys at school wouldn't dare mess with me. Especially when Buttercup was in sight.

I guess I was lucky to have such a protective sister. I thought her actions to be a bit hypocritical though. She didn't want me or Blossom to be some victim of some guy and his icky, perverted sexual fantasies, yet at the same time, she was always charming every girl she could. Janie was her only girlfriend. After that, they were just girls. And a lot of them. They were affairs that would last for a couple months at most, and as little as a single day. Not until the day my sister started up her seductive spells, did I realize so many females actually resided in Townsville, let alone enough girls who were willing or curious enough to actually be with my sister. I bet she could swoon Mother Teresa.

I accidentally saw my sister Buttercup naked with another girl when were sixteen-years-old. After stopping some bank robbers, Blossom said she was going to go back to the school library, Buttercup said she was tired and was going to go home, and I felt like a delicious ice cream treat from Baskin Robbins. I guess Buttercup thought Blossom and I would take longer at our own destinations, because she obviously wasn't expecting me to return home so soon.

I entered the house and heard quiet laughter coming down the hall. I took just two steps and peeked my head around the corner and found a trail of scattered clothing on the floor, leading up to my sister and some girl at the end of the hall. Buttercup had her pressed up against the wall, and was kissing her on the neck, while stroking her hair, while the girl just seemed to be in complete, submissive ecstasy. She clung to my sister's naked body, releasing soft moans; she was so overcome by my sister, her knees trembled underneath her.

It was a few moments before I realized what I was seeing and quickly left the house, embarrassed and confused. I waited almost an hour before returning. When I did, the girl was gone, and Buttercup was clothed and watching television from the living room couch. She looked at me, "You wanna watch this movie with me?"

I immediately blushed, "N-no, that's okay!" and rushed upstairs to hide in my room until Blossom returned home.

I became a lot more distant from my sister after that day. I was afraid to be alone with her. I don't know why, but it made me feel uncomfortable. I'd get squirmy and my face would turn red when our eyes met. I don't know what was wrong with me. I never felt that way before and I was scared. I'd see her with other girls and become engulfed by so many emotions, even if she was just _talking _to that girl. I tried not to make it so obvious, and I tried to act as if nothing was wrong, but I guess I failed at that sort of thing.

One day, Buttercup snapped, as she tends to do when she's frustrated by things or people. And she was _very _frustrated with me and my odd behavior. She wanted me to go out for ice cream with her and I declined. I _adore_ ice cream above anything else, but it was just going to be me and her, and that was something I just couldn't bring myself to do.

"Um, no thanks, Buttercup," I said trying to hide my blushing face by turning it away from her sight, "but thanks anyways." I turned to leave, but she grabbed my hand. I pulled away from her abruptly. She stared at me.

"What is your problem lately, Bubbles?"

"Nothing," I flushed.

She blinked at me for a while.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said. Before I could attempt leaving again, she grabbed my hand. Again I pulled away and I shouted back at her. "Stop it!"

She grabbed my hand again, with a tighter grip, that I couldn't let go of, and she yanked me towards her. She glared at me, "You're being a freak! Now, cut it out!"

"No! Let go of me!" I cried, just starting to tear up.

She let go as soon as she saw the tears. "Bubbles…" she said quietly, "Bubbles, what's wrong? You're being stupid…."

I just buried my face in my hands and wept.

"Bubbles…" she continued, "why can't you just go out and do something with your sister anymore? …We used to have lots of fun together… remember?"

"…Yeah," I sniffed. I felt her arms around me and I flinched.

"What's wrong, Bubbles?" she said softly.

"I don't know," I answered. I looked up at my sister for a brief moment, before quickly returning my gaze back down to the ground.

I felt her pet my face, "Bubbles…."

I gathered the courage to look up again. Our eyes locked. We seemed endlessly frozen like that.

At that moment, my sister Buttercup and I shared our first kiss, just one week before our seventeenth birthday.


	2. Chapter 2

**Autrefois**

_--_

_A/N: So sorry for the huge delay. Honestly, I got too busy once college started up and then simply lost all motivation and interest in continuing this story. But I'm so pleased to see that more PPG femslash is popping up in the fandom, and I've been inspired to continue! I hope you all will still read, and forgive the huge hiatus. I will do my best to finish this fic, and hopefully have an update every couple of weeks just like I used to be so good at doing once upon a time. I don't begin school for another month and a half, so hopefully that will be just long enough to finish this story._

_--_

**Chapter 2**

I had kissed my sister. How did this happen? How _could_ this have happened? I spent a brief, yet insanely long moment asking myself this over and over. Did I do something wrong? Was I wrong? Was it Buttercup's fault? Did I misinterpret this kiss? Perhaps I only dreamt it. Or maybe it was just a family, sister kiss and my mind played a trick on me and I somehow felt it to be more passionate than what happened in reality. I couldn't feel like this. How could I _ever _feel like this?

But after all those crazy thoughts swarmed my head, they left as quick as they came. I took one look at my sister as she stared at me, red in the face. I wondered what she was thinking. The same thoughts that had just filled my own mind? I saw that weakness in her eyes. Vulnerable. The tough tomboy who never cried showed that rare frailness I only got to see once in a blue moon. …And _I_ did that. … _Me_.

For some reason, the idea of me doing that to my sister excited me. I thought about all the other times she showed that glimmer of vulnerability. Every time I could recall it lasted for only a second, but I still caught it. And every time… it was because of me.

She dropped her head and she looked as if she was going to say something. She then lifted her head, but didn't look at me. Her head turned to the side, and her eyes fixed on nothing, she said: "I'm sorry."

And she left.

I watched her fly away quickly, in the blink of an eye, yet in slow motion.

"…You don't have to be," I said two moments too late.

We didn't speak to one another for the rest of that day. The next day she acted as if nothing happened. And that's the way things stayed for a while.

* * *

I was now seventeen. I didn't feel any older. I never do on birthdays. But this time, I did feel something _different_. There was something inside me I couldn't quite identify. 

I went from trying to avoid Buttercup to wanting to be around her more and more. I wanted _more_. I wanted to feel _more_. Experience _more_. I wanted her. I wanted her so badly, and with each passing moment that desire grew.

But she still acted as if nothing happened between us. At our birthday party she brought a girl. Naturally, I was heartbroken. Buttercup was a heartbreaker. Everyone knew this, and I knew this. But how could she do this to _me?_ Her own sister. The shortest relationship she had, she kept the girl for an entire day, and I'm certain she got more than a three second kiss. How could I be worth less time than that?

I had been preoccupied before then with all my friends and the wonderful music. I danced for hours on end, and celebrated. Dad wasn't there. He said we were young women now and he trusted us to have the house to ourselves for a day. He got us a brand new car to share, which we didn't mind because we would only have to use it when we wanted to go to the mall with friends who couldn't very well fly. We had yummy food and cake and ice cream. Everything was so perfect. It was the best birthday ever.

We were in the middle of opening gifts when it happened. I saw her. Buttercup and another girl. She just sat there so casually with her arm around the brunette's waist. I couldn't believe it. I stood up immediately and left without a word as quickly as I could. I had to hide. Tears came fast; I didn't want anyone to see. I rushed to my room and shut the door behind me, flinging myself onto my bed and crying as if it was the world's end.

It didn't take Blossom long to come and find me. "Bubbles, are you okay?"

I had my face buried in a pillow. I shook my head.

"What's wrong?" I felt my sister's hand on my shoulder.

"Please, just leave me alone," I squeaked.

I looked up at Blossom and she frowned back at me. She was silent for a while before she sighed heavily.

"Just go back to the party," I said and buried my face in the pillow again.

"It's your party too. And all your friends are down there. Don't be rude, Bubbles. They all came for _you_."

"They came for you too! We have the same group of friends, Blossom!" My sister sighed again. I lifted my head, "Blossom, I don't want them to see me like this. I'm always made fun of as a baby and now here I am crying when I'm supposed to be seventeen!" I wiped at my eyes frantically but more tears came. It was like a waterfall that just couldn't be stopped. "Please!" I begged. "…Just tell them that I didn't feel well. …And that I'm sorry."

My sister hesitated, then gave a nod and left.

I just wanted to be alone so that I could cry. That's all I wanted to do; just cry until I fell asleep. Once I start crying, I can never stop. It's my greatest weakness. But of course I was interrupted.

There was a knock at the door and before I could tell that person to go away, he came inside. I expected it to be Buttercup for some reason, but it was Freddie. He was the older brother of one of my friends who came to the party. We had danced together for a while and he was a real nice guy. He raced dirt bikes or something, and I thought that was pretty cool. I didn't want him to see me crying out of all my friends. I was just getting to know him and now he would see me as a big baby just like everyone else saw me as.

"What's wrong, Bubbles?" he asked sitting next to me on the bed.

"Nothing. Just leave me alone, please." I sniffed.

He handed me a tissue from the tissue box that was on my nightstand. I took it and blew my nose. He handed me another and I took it. He was talking, but I wasn't listening. Suddenly I felt something. His hand was on my thigh and I froze. I looked up at him and realized the gap between our faces was getting smaller as he puckered up and his hand moved up my skirt. I quickly snapped out of it and gave him a hard shove that pushed him off the bed and onto the floor with a loud crash.

"Hey!" came a voice from the doorway.

Buttercup.

She was furious. Her eyes were on fire. Within a second she had the guy held up by the collar and she shook him, yelling. "You think just 'cause a girl is crying and vulnerable like that she'll let you get into her pants?! You think it's okay to prey on poor innocent little girls like that?! I oughta rip your goddamn pecker off, you bastard! _You touch my sister like that ever again and I'll kill you!_"

The guy was so terrified he couldn't speak and he peed himself.

Buttercup let him drop to the floor. He scrambled onto his feet and ran out the door fast. Buttercup's furious eyes followed him all the way.

I stared at my green eyed sister. "Buttercup…"

She looked at me. "What did I tell you about letting guys touch you like that?!" she snapped back.

"I-I didn't know what he was trying to do. I-I'm s-sorry, I-I didn't know--"

"It's not your fault," she said cracking her knuckles. I could tell her anger was starting to finally subside. She exhaled a long breath, releasing the last bit of fury. Without looking at me, she said, "You're just too damn sweet," she paused, "and too damn pretty."

That last part caused my heart to stop and I felt myself float from off the bed and towards her. "Buttercup…"

"Come on, Bethany," she said. I then noticed my sister's little brunette had been standing at the doorway watching the whole time. Buttercup put her arm around the girl's waist and the two left, Bethany was so completely hypnotized by my sister, I thought she was going to faint in Buttercup's arms. It was obvious that she had fallen under Buttercup's spell after she witnessed such a fine, strong woman terrorize a perverted man in defense of her helpless kid sister. I'm sure it was so incredibly dreamy in Bethany's eyes.

* * *

I waited for all the guests to go home. Bethany was the last to leave. I saw her leave Buttercup's room. Her bra strap was loose and fell off her shoulder. Buttercup caressed her face and then fixed the strap for her. She whispered something in the girl's ear. I hid back inside my room and waited till I herd the girl's footsteps pass before I opened my door again. 

I slowly approached Buttercup's room. I reached for the doorknob, but Buttercup opened the door before I could. She turned away without saying anything, but left the door open. I stepped inside.

"What is it?" she asked, sitting down at her computer desk.

"I-I just wanted to umm… thank you," I said softly.

"Uh huh," she said without looking at me. I waited for her to say more, but she didn't.

"I really didn't know what he was doing, Buttercup. As soon as I realized, I pushed him! I remembered what you said and I pushed him!"

"You shouldn't of let him into your room like that."

"I didn't! He just came in on his own!"

"Yeah well then you should have told him to leave."

"I did!"

"Well you should have _made _him."

"I--" I stopped. "…'kay."

"You gotta learn to be more aggressive, Sis, I swear!" she slammed down on her keyboard. She looked at me with a harsh look, "You gotta get _mean _sometimes! You're too damn _nice_, Bubbles!"

For a while I just sat there on her bed twirling one of my curls round and round. I then looked up at her. "…And too pretty?"

She quickly looked at me again. Her jaw was open a little and her face turned red. She quickly looked away and focused hard on the computer screen with an angry, but blushing face.

We were both quiet for a long time.

"Buttercup--"

"_It was a mistake, okay?!_" she exploded.

I stared at her in shock for a long time. She stared back. She was standing from her chair then, her hands were curled into tight fists, and she breathed heavily.

"Wh-what? Buttercup, I--"

"_It was a fucking mistake! Okay?! A mistake! I just-- I don't know, okay?! I shouldn't have done that to you! It was a mistake! I'm sorry!_" Her face was still red and her eyes glistened a little. She then collapsed back into her chair and stared straight ahead. She lowered her eyes to her feet. "You're my fucking sister…" she said shaking her head. She buried her face in her hands and breathed heavily. "You're my fucking _sister_," she repeated.

It was silent for a long time. Buttercup's behavior was unlike anything I had seen. She was panicky, desperate and sounded as if she had killed a man and was being brutally and excruciatingly tormented by an unbearable guilt.

"Buttercup," I began, but didn't know how to finish. I stood and came towards her. She looked up at me.

"Will you _please _say that you forgive me already?" her voice was strained. She sounded as if she was in pain.

I opened my mouth but nothing came out. I didn't want to forgive her. Forgive her for what? It wasn't a mistake. How could our kiss have been a mistake? It was too good to be a mistake.

"_Please!_" she sounded so hurt. She stood and suddenly grabbed me by the shoulders. "_I'm sorry, okay?! How many times do I have to say it?!_"

My heart raced. I couldn't move. I didn't know what to do. I had never seen her like that before. "Buttercup…"

"Stop it!" she shouted. "Would you stop looking at me like that?! _**STOP IT GODDAMMIT! **_" She shook me by the shoulders.

"Buttercup, I-I don't know what I'm doing! Just p-please stop acting like this!" I started to cry.

"What's going on in here?" Blossom interrupted.

Buttercup released my shoulders, I was crying hysterically by then. Once I start crying, I can never stop. It's my greatest weakness.

Blossom took me by the hand and pulled me away from Buttercup, stepping in between us.

"Buttercup can't you go one day without picking a fight?!" Blossom scolded.

Buttercup was taken back for a short moment. "I-I… She… She wouldn't get out of my room! She's annoying! I asked her to leave and she wouldn't! Fucking brat started to cry! She's a cry baby! What the hell am I supposed to do?!"

"Honestly, Buttercup it's our birthday! Not to mention you're supposed to be an adult starting today! Bubbles has already had a tough day and you have to go and make her cry! Come on, Bubbles, let's get out of the psycho's room!"

"Yeah, that's right, get out of my room! Jesus Christ you're both babies!"

She slammed the door hard.

"It's okay, Bubbles, just ignore her," Blossom said as she led me back to my bedroom. "You know how she is sometimes."

"Yeah," I sniffed.

* * *

That night as I lay in bed two things my sister said that day refused to stop haunting me: 

_You're too damn sweet and you're too damn pretty._

And…

_You're my fucking _sister_…._

Oh God. ...How could this be happening?


	3. Chapter 3

**Autrefois**

**Chapter 3**

Buttercup was my sister. She was my _sister_. I forced myself to repeat this over and over again in my head while I pretended to listen to my teachers at school the next day. But for some reason, the idea just wouldn't stick. Sure, I knew Buttercup was my sister, but what that had to do with how I was feeling about her, I just didn't understand. I knew it was supposed to be wrong, but I didn't get why. Why was it wrong that I felt this way? _Why?_ Now matter how much I asked myself, I couldn't come up with any answer other than that it was just the way I was _supposed_ to feel. But whose rules were these and why must I follow them?

I tried and tried _so _hard.

_Buttercup is my sister. Buttercup is my sister. Buttercup is my sister._

I must have said this to myself a million or more times by the time the last class period of the day came around, but I still couldn't grasp it. Every time I said it though, I just felt sicker and sicker. Eventually that illness just turned into this anger, as I questioned more and more why I had to brainwash myself. I probably would have crammed in a few thousand more repetitions, but my teacher made us pair up in teams for the day's assignment.

I usually didn't have to pay attention in this class. It was Spanish, and it came natural to me, just as French, Italian, Japanese, and squirrel did. But I still had to take a foreign language in order to graduate high school properly. Mr. Morales paired me up with Princess Morbucks, as he always did, because she had a difficult time with the subject and needed as much help as possible. It didn't matter that within the past few months, the spoiled brat tried again to destroy my sisters and I. She needed someone with patience and an understanding of the subject, which was unfortunately me.

I guess she didn't bother me all that much. After she would talk about how she and I should form our own crime fighting duo, and how the two of us would be way better than me and my sisters have ever been, she would eventually pay attention to our assignments.

"Seriously though," Princess said as she twirled her curly, red hair round her finger and admired herself in her small, golden compact mirror, "you and me could be the most famous crime fighting team in all of history!"

"Uh huh," I ignored her. "What did you get for number three?" I grabbed her worksheet and glanced over it, only to see that she hadn't done a single thing. "Princess! Come on, let's do our work, okay?"

She took the worksheet from my hand and sighed heavily. She shoved her golden little mirror forcefully back into her purse. "We can talk and work at the same time!"

"Well you should do as much work as you do talking," I muttered.

"What?" she blinked at me. "My, someone sure is cranky today." She rested her head on her hands and leaned forward a little, studying me over. "This isn't the cute, happy sunshine Bubbles everyone adores," she said with pursed lips, emphasizing every word in a teasing, baby-like voice.

I glared at her. Her eyes widened and she leaned away from me, looking as if I had pointed a gun to her face. I must have looked angrier than I meant. I quickly changed my expression to a frown. "Sorry… I've just been a little upset all day," I apologized.

She blinked again a few times and tilted her head slightly. "A _little?_" She turned over her worksheet and at last picked up her pencil to begin working on the assignment. "Well don't take it out on me. It's not like I've picked any fights with you Puffs lately."

The bell rang. Princess quickly gathered her things and began to leave, as I slowly did the same.

"Princess. Bubbles. May I speak to you for a moment?" Mr. Morales interrupted just as Princess was on her way out the door.

"Mr. Morales, do you absolutely have to? I have a tanning appointment in twenty minutes! I can't be late!" Princess protested, stomping her feet like a small child.

"This will only be a second," Mr. Morales said, sitting at his desk.

Both Princess and I approached him slowly. He looked from me to Princess with his hands folded in front of him. The bald old man spun in his swivel chair so he faced his computer monitor. He brought up the class grades and pointed at the name "Morbucks, Princess" with his fat finger. We followed his finger across the screen to a bold, red colored "57.84 percent F" under the column "current grade."

Princess let out a gasp. "That can't be right, Mr. Morales!" she screamed. "That just can't be right!"

"It is," he said turning back to face us. "Princess, you don't participate in class, the only assignments you complete are the ones you must do with Bubbles here, and the highest score you've had on a test or quiz was a low C."

I squirmed a bit where I stood, knowing exactly what Mr. Morales was going to suggest next.

"Mr. Morales, I can't fail this class! I just can't! Daddy won't buy me the BMW I've been wanting forever if I fail this class! He just won't and I have to have it! _I have to!_" she began to tear up.

"Princess, you can still pass the class. You just have to be sure to turn in every assignment complete from now on, and make sure that you score at least a high C on the remaining quizzes, and at least the same on your final exam."

"But… Spanish is hard, Mr. Morales," she sniffed and wiped at her eyes. "I really am trying! I really am! I just can't do it!"

"Yes, Princess, I didn't say that you weren't trying." He looked at me. "Bubbles, will you do me a favor and help Miss Morbucks here? I know this is a lot to ask, but she needs a tutor and you're the best student I have. I'll offer you extra credit, and a spot in my AP Spanish class next year without you having to take the entrance test."

I knew I could pass that test easily and I didn't need Mr. Morales' offer, but Princess looked at me with big, pleading eyes. I sighed. "Sure."

Princess clapped her hands. "Really, Bubbles?! Will you really teach me Spanish?!"

"Yeah," I said, trying to smile.

She hugged me tightly and bounced up and down. "Oh thank you! Now I'll get my beautiful BMW! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She released me and wiped away any remaining tears in her eyes. "We have to study at my house though! I'm sure your home is… umm… fine. Yes. But my house is so much better! It has fifteen bathrooms, a movie theater on the fourth floor, and of course a bowling alley in the basement! No offense to your home of course!" she said with a flip of her hair. "I just wouldn't want to bother your family with having to accommodate my specific needs."

"Uh, right. Thanks, then." I rolled my eyes, but she didn't notice.

She giggled. "You're welcome!" she smiled with another flip of her hair. "I'll call you and set up a time! Bye bye now!" she said rushing off as her cell phone rang.

I began to head for my locker, but soon found my sister Blossom in front of me within a flash of pink light. She breathed heavily. "Come on! We gotta go!" she said out of breath. "I just got a call from the mayor! A dinosaur is destroying the city!"

"An actual dinosaur or just a monster who happens to look like one?" I questioned.

"Who knows?! The mayor called it a dinosaur! Have you seen Buttercup?"

I shook my head, but before Blossom could notice she zipped past me a few feet where Buttercup was walking.

"What's up?" she said. Blossom began to explain but was interrupted when the brunette Bethany from the day before flung herself at Buttercup. "Hey!" Buttercup yelled. "Get off me, Beth! I told you. It's _over_." Buttercup pushed her away.

Bethany stared at Buttercup looking hurt. Tears streamed down her face and she quickly hid behind her hands and sobbed uncontrollably.

Blossom stared at the girl for a moment, but then quickly snapped out of it. "A dinosaur is attacking Townsville. We have to go!"

"What the hell are we waiting for then?! Let's go!" Buttercup exclaimed, clenching her fists and ready for action as always. Bethany clung desperately to Buttercup's arm, before we could take off. "Dammit, girl! Let go of me!"

"Please!" she cried. "Don't leave me! Tell me what I did wrong! Buttercup, I love you!"

Blossom pulled the girl away. "I'm sorry, Becky--"

"_Bethany!_" she wailed.

"Bethany! Sorry!" Blossom tugged, finally releasing the girl's grasp on Buttercup. "But we really have to go! Buttercup will call you, okay?"

We finally were able to leave. We had to be almost a hundred feet in the air before Bethany's crying could no longer be heard.

"I ain't calling nobody," Buttercup muttered.

I looked at Buttercup, but her gaze was straight ahead. "Why do you have to break up with everybody so fast?" I asked.

She glanced at me. "It's their fault."

"Why?"

"It just is."

"Buttercup is incapable of love," Blossom huffed.

"What?!" Buttercup yelled. "I'm capable of love dammit! I'm capable of a lot of it!"

"Love isn't measured by how many partners you stampede through."

Buttercup muttered something under her breath that me and Blossom couldn't hear.

"I'm sure she's loved some of her girlfriends," I said trying to defend her. "And I know she loves us and the Professor a whole bunch! Right, Buttercup?!"

I looked at Buttercup and saw her blushing a little. I only realized what I said might have upset her because of what was recently happening between us. Now _I _was blushing. Luckily, Blossom didn't notice because we reached the dinosaur.

At first we stared awkwardly at the creature, wondering just how something as silly as this could cause so much destruction and chaos. There were obviously some torn up lamp posts and street signs; the roads around the area were smashed to bits too. But the monster wasn't what we expected at all. He had tiny little arms and was only maybe twenty feet tall. When he roared loudly, we could see that he had braces on his teeth. Braces on a dinosaur! Buttercup immediately laughed at the sight of that.

"That's the wimpiest and dorkiest fucking dinosaur I've ever seen!" she laughed loudly.

The creature must of heard my sister's remark because he immediately swung his large tail at her. My sister dodged it, but it hit the building behind her and it collapsed quicker than I thought a building could ever collapse. We reacted quickly and swept down to the streets to pick up any pedestrians who had yet been able to evacuate the area. I picked up these two small kids who cried and cried. I set them down about a mile away by an ice cream parlor. "Everything's okay now!" I said hastily. "You're safe! Go inside and ask the nice man to lend you his telephone so you can get a hold of your mommy or daddy, 'kay?"

I heard them thanking me as I flew back to the beast. "Please be safe, Miss Bubbles!" the little girl cried out. That was my favorite part of crime fighting, knowing that I was loved and appreciated for what I did. I wish everyone could experience that feeling.

I returned to my sisters. Blossom was trying to freeze the beast with her ice breath, but he swat his tail at her, interrupting her before the blast could reach him.

"Bubbles!" called Buttercup. I looked at her. "Come on, let's get a hold of that damn tail so Blossom can blast this thing!"

"Right!" I answered and followed her towards the monster.

The dorky dino swung his tail at Buttercup but she flew just above it and grabbed onto it. I grabbed it too and struggled to hold it still. It wobbled around with great force and fought to break away from our grip. Buttercup growled with frustration. The tail was too powerful. It then broke away and hit us both hard, sending us flying hundreds of feet.

I slammed into my sister's body and we hit the pavement with such a force, we created a fifty foot deep hole in the ground. I was laying on top of Buttercup in not too much pain, but I definitely had the wind knocked out of me and I was a little dizzy. Buttercup was the one who got most of the hit. "Are you okay?" I asked rubbing my head.

"Yeah," my sister moaned. She sat up a little.

When my dizziness stopped and my sight focused better, I saw that our faces almost touched. I immediately blushed and I heard my sister gulp nervously. Her face then grew angry all of a sudden. She gave me a hard shove and I fell off of her. "Get off of me!" she yelled and flew away before I could say anything.

I felt extremely hurt that she pushed me so hard. She never used that much force on me before. It was so hard she caused me to bump my head against the wall of pavement behind me and I was dizzy again for a few moments. I shook my head and forced myself to get back up.

As I approached the battle I could see that Buttercup was again attempting to hold down the dinosaur's tail. I flew quickly to assist her but as I went to grab the tail, she pushed me away with one hand. "Get away! I'll do it myself!"

I stared at her. "What?" I watched her struggle for a bit and saw her face turning redder and redder as I'm sure it grew tougher to hold onto the crazed monster.

"Buttercup, let me help!" I went to grab the tail but she swatted at my hand as if I was a pesky little bug.

"No! You'll just fuck things up! I can do it by myself!" Just as she screamed that I saw the tail slip threw her hands and I quickly pulled her out of the way of the whipping tail.

She quickly pushed me away again and immediately went to grab hold of the tail again. I grabbed the thing too and held on tight despite Buttercup trying to push me away by shoving at my shoulder.

"Buttercup, cut it out!" I yelled. "I'm helping you and that's that! We're a team!"

She screamed loudly. Her face was red with exhaustion and pain. I tightened my grip and looked desperately at Blossom, pleading with my eyes for her to hurry. At long last, I could finally feel the beast begin to get tired as more and more of his body was being sheeted by ice. Soon his tail was still. Relieved I let go and let the tail fall as it became covered with frost.

I looked to Buttercup and saw she was already sitting on the ground, panting and breathing hard. I flew down to her and place my hands on her shoulders. "Are you okay?" I asked concerned. I knew Buttercup was tough, but the bad part about that was you never knew when she was seriously hurt because she'd never admit it.

"Yeah, yeah," she pulled away from me. "Don't touch me, would ya?"

"B-but--"

"Just don't!" She looked at me with that angry face of hers. I immediately began to tear up. Her expression stayed the same as she got up and hovered towards Blossom.

"You two okay?" Blossom asked.

"Yeah," answered Buttercup with a mutter.

"Bubbles?" Blossom asked with a worried look.

I nodded. "I'm fine."

Soon we were surrounded by flashing lights, camera crews, and a crowd of reporters screaming for our attention. This was the part of crime fighting I liked the least. So did Buttercup. She always flew away, ignoring any questions that were being yelled at her. I would do the same, but I didn't want to be rude. Blossom felt the same and used to make us all stay behind to answer a few questions and smile for photos. She said it was necessary to keep a good image or else the media would attack us and forever label us as bad people or stuck up brats. But after what they did to Buttercup, Blossom couldn't blame our sister for never wanting to speak to the media baboons ever again.

When Buttercup came out to our family as a lesbian, it didn't take long for the media to learn about it. We still don't know just how the media found out, but soon the nightly news was flooded with debates of whether homosexuality was moral or not and whether Townsville should still allow such an immoral group of teenagers to defend their city. People began to question whether or not Townsville was truly safe now that they knew one of their heroines defied God's principles.

Of course, most people didn't mind that Buttercup was gay. She saved the city and the world, and her sexuality had nothing to do with it. But some people thought that being gay was evil and perverted. Any lesbian was immoral and how dare she try to "save" people. She was looked up to by hundreds of small children and now what would happen to these innocent little souls when they learned that their favorite hero was nothing but a dyke? Some citizens asked: "How could a Powerpuff be so reckless with her lifestyle? What kind of example was she setting for those children?" There were movements to have Buttercup banned from being able to protect the city. Protests took place in the streets and even outside our own home, right on our front lawn at times, for months. For a long time, Buttercup refused to fight and protect a city that hated her. But eventually Blossom and I were able to show her that this was just a portion of Townsville's citizens. She was finally convinced to fight once more once Blossom discovered an internet website devoted entirely to Buttercup's brave coming out as gay.

After that, Buttercup was proud to be an out superhero, but she still refused to speak to the media. All they cared to ask her were things on that nonsense debate, even today.

"Bubbles! Bubbles!" cried a woman reporter. "Bubbles how's school?! Do you have a prom date yet?!"

"Please," interrupted Blossom, "Only questions about the monster."

"What about you Blossom?! Seeing anyone nowadays?!"

Blossom blushed a little. "If you don't have any questions about the battle, then we'll be on our way."

"Bubbles, what are you wearing?!"

"Um.. Jeans?" I said unsurely. I tugged on Blossom's arm signaling that I wanted to go. I was beginning to feel dizzy with all the flashing lights and loud voices.

"Sorry, folks!" Blossom said loudly, "But we have to be going now!"

We quickly left. "Savages!" Blossom exclaimed as soon as we were far enough so that they couldn't hear us.

"Blossom?" I asked as we flew back home.

"Yeah?"

I hesitated, but had really wanted to ask somebody's advice on this. Blossom and I were close on these sort of things, so I knew I could turn to her, just so long as I didn't mention any names. "What do you do if you like somebody but they don't like you back?"

Blossom smiled a little. "Now who wouldn't like you, Bubbles?"

"No one. I mean--"

Blossom giggled. "Well. Don't spend the rest of your life, waiting for something that isn't going to happen, Bubbles. If he doesn't like you, then there's nothing you can do about it. Though, I can't imagine who would turn you down. You have every boy at school under a spell. You sure he's not interested?" Blossom tilted her head a little.

I felt myself blush. I wanted to tell her something like, "How do you know it's a _he?_" but didn't. "I don't know," I said. "Now that I think about it… It probably wouldn't work out between us."

"Don't give up hope so easily," Blossom smiled reassuringly. "Just try and ask him how he feels about you."

I pondered over this for a while. "Okay." We arrived home. Before Blossom could reach for the doorknob, I embraced her in a hug. She patted my head, lovingly. "Thanks, Blossom. I dunno what I would do without your help sometimes."

"No problem. That's what sisters are for."


	4. Chapter 4

**Autrefois**

**Chapter 4**

I decided that I was going to ask my sister how she felt. Of course, it wasn't an easy thing to do, but it was the most honest. Like Blossom said, there's no use in swooning over somebody who just won't have you. Even though I couldn't imagine living without her, I did not want to ruin the relationship we already had. I loved her _so _much. What would I do if she hated me after this?

Did Buttercup love me? No just that, but did she love me more than any other sister would normally love her sister? I had to know if I was alone in this situation. I had to know if she was being just as tormented as I. Did she also loathe this taboo that would test our love?

I had to ask her.

I waited until Blossom was locked away in her room with her nose buried in a text book. That way I knew she would not interrupt Buttercup and I, just as long as we kept any shouting to a minimum. After having a light snack of cookies and milk in the kitchen, while I thought about just how I was going to approach my sister, I slowly made my way upstairs. I walked past my sister Blossom's room, then my own room, to Buttercup's room which sat at the very end of the hallway.

As I stared at my sister's shut door, trying to gather the courage to knock, I remembered when the Professor first suggested that we get our own separate rooms. We were twelve, and had begun fighting with each other even more than usual, just as any other pre-teen siblings would. One day an argument between Blossom and Buttercup over who was to make the bed that day got so out of control, they broke into a fight. They ripped at each other's hair and tumbled around and around in a cloud of kicks, punches and scratching until they slammed into the east wall of the room, completely knocking the wall down. Professor had had enough, and well a wall was already destroyed so there had to be some construction done to our home anyway. He announced then we were getting our own seperate rooms.

I was the only one who was upset about getting my own room. Buttercup and Blossom were the happiest I had ever seen them, but I couldn't help but feel so lonely. Who was I going to talk to at night before I went to bed? Octi was a nice friend, but he didn't talk back. He didn't give me hugs, or tell funny jokes. He couldn't comfort me when I woke up from horrible nightmares like my sisters could. It took a long time before I could get used to my empty, lonely room. I eventually found a little bit of comfort when I moved my bed so that it was against the wall which separated mine and Buttercup's room. Before I would fall asleep, I could lie in bed and hear my sister typing on her computer and listening to music. Sometimes she would shout things at her TV and I would giggle to myself, whether or not I could fully decode her muttered words. Somehow, sharing that wall made me feel a little safer. I was grateful that our rooms were next to each other.

Finally, I gently knocked on her door. I waited several moments and there was no answer. I knew for a fact that she was in there. She had to be. I heard her stereo still on. I knocked on her door again a little louder. "Buttercup?" I squeaked. "It's me."

Still the only thing I could hear was her stereo which played a soft rock ballad. I waited for a while and debated whether or not I should just invite myself inside. I then heard her music grow about ten times louder, so that the bass of her stereo system could be felt through vibrations on the ground. "Buttercup!" I shouted. "Don't ignore me! Please!"

I let myself into her room, and closed the door tightly behind me. I then instantly clasped my hands over my ears to try and save them from the deafening stereo. "Buttercup!" I could barely hear myself, the music was so loud.

She sat at her windowsill. Her knees were pulled up to her chest, and she rested her chin on top of them. She stared outside, and I could see by her reflection in the window's glass that she had an angry face.

I went to her stereo and shut it off. "Buttercup, are you okay?" I asked while trying to rid a sharp ringing in my ears by shaking my head.

She kept her gaze outdoors and her back towards me. I don't think she knew that I could see her face's reflection in the window. I saw her expression go from mean to soft and sad. Her eyes almost instantly began to glisten with tears. She buried her face in her folded arms, which grasped onto her knees tightly. "Leave me alone, Bubbles. I don't feel like talking to you right now, okay?" she muttered.

"Buttercup, I… I have to ask you something…."

I heard her sigh heavily. "What?"

I blinked at her for a while. I opened my mouth but it was a while before I could find my voice. "Do you love me, Buttercup?" I said almost inaudibly.

"Of course, dummy," she huffed.

"No. I mean do you _love_ me love me? Are you… _in_ love with me--"

She turned her head and looked over her shoulders. "Wh-what the hell are you talking about?!" She spun around so that she faced me completely. She had a mean face, but her cheeks were flushed a bright pink. "You're my sister, alright?! So I just have to love you! I-It's not like I have a choice or-or anything like that!" she crossed her arms and glared at her feet. I could still see the tears in her eyes. "You're a real dummy sometimes," she muttered kicking her feet.

I felt my body begin to shake. I couldn't control it. I knew what I had to say, but I was too afraid to say it. "B-B-Buttercup, I-I--"

Her fixed stare moved from the ground to me. Her angry face softened and it was replaced with a concerned look. "Hey, what's the matter with you?" she blinked dumbly, jumping off from her seat on the windowsill and taking a few steps towards me.

"I-I-I--" I shook even more. I started to tear up in frustration with myself. Why couldn't I just stop shaking? Why did I have to be this scared all the time?

I felt Buttercup's touch suddenly. She held me by my shoulders. I instantly went weak in the knees and began to collapse onto the floor. Buttercup held me closer. "Hey what's wrong?!" she shouted.

I stared at my sister, still shaking as she held me in her arms.

This had to be her special power. She had the ability to make a girl go weak in the knees. I could speak any language on Earth, Blossom had ice breath, and Buttercup-- she could make you just fall, and fall hard. And you didn't know what was wrong with you. You felt her soft touch, and saw those green eyes, and there was something inside them that when combined with that gentle touch, it just caused you to lose every bit of strength in your body all at once. And that was it. I had seen her do it to many girls before, but I thought that it was just because they were all such helpless things. I never thought it would happen to me.

"I-I'm fine," I squeaked. "I'm just s-scared to say this… b-but I have to…" I said softly, not able to tear my eyes away from hers. I gulped and shut my eyes tightly. I took a deep breath and forced the words to come out: "Buttercup, I love you!" I kept my eyes shut, too afraid to open them. "I-I do," I continued. "I love you. More than a sister, Buttercup. I-I love you."

I was still afraid to open my eyes so I kept them tightly shut. I still felt myself in Buttercup's arms, and that was the only way I knew she was still there. She was silent for a long time. Finally she said: "I can't do this, Bubbles."

I opened my eyes and saw her staring at me with a frown. "But Buttercup--"

She let me go and I fell to the ground with a loud thud. It hurt. Not hitting the ground, but the feeling of no longer being held in her arms. To be let go so abruptly and lose a feeling so beautiful in that short split second, hurt more than anything else.

I lay on the floor looking up at my sister, feeling the tears flooding my eyes. I immediately started to cry. I just lay there, with my eyes shut tight trying to stop the tears from escaping but still crying a waterfall.

Buttercup knelt down beside me. She took my arm and pulled me up so that I was sitting. "Hey now, stop this, Bubbles," she said. "Please?" she added quietly.

"B-But why won't you love me back?!" I cried, wiping at my eyes.

"Bubbles, you know why," she frowned.

"Why? Because people might say it's wrong?"

"Yeah. That's why."

"B-But they said it was wrong that you're gay! And it's not, Buttercup! It's not!" I protested. "How is this any different?!"

Buttercup sighed. She kept her gaze on the floor. "It just is, Bubbles." She looked at me. "I'm sorry."

"But you love me right?" I squeaked.

She was quiet. Slowly she nodded a little. I threw my arms around her and hugged her tightly. She pushed me away, "_Now, don't do that!_" she yelled. She frowned, "It just can't be, okay? For a lot of reasons."

"Like what?" I asked quietly with a sniff.

"Like… people will call us freaks. I'm already called a freak by a lot of people and a lot of other nasty names. Bubbles… I don't want people calling you bad names too," she said.

"I wouldn't mind," I said, "As long as we were together, I don't care!"

"And what about if it doesn't work out, huh? You'd hate me," she shook her head. "They always end up hating me," she muttered.

"But I can't hate you! I'll always love you, Buttercup!" I pleaded. "And what do you mean if it doesn't work out?! _Of course it would!_"

"_Shh_," Buttercup whispered harshly, glancing at the door nervously and then back at me. "Keep it down, would ya?"

"Sorry," I squeaked.

"Also," she said, "I'm sorta seeing someone right now. And I can't break up with her."

I stared at her. "N-no… you broke up with her. Today at school, I remember!"

"Not Bethany," she shook her head.

I blinked at her for a long time. "_Another one?!_" I shouted.

"Yeah," she said shrugging her shoulders. "And she's kinda special to me, alright? I can't just dump her."

"Why is _she _so special?!" I demanded.

"I asked her out like five times and she didn't say yes until earlier today! Usually a girl will go out with me by at least the second time I ask! It never takes five tries! So, I worked pretty hard, you see?"

I stared at her with a disgusted look. She blinked back at me, obviously not understanding what a hurtful thing she had just said. "What?" she asked tilting her head to one side with a confused look.

I stood up and turned to leave. "You're a real jerk, Buttercup."

"What?!" she exclaimed.

I turned to face her just before I left the room. I stuck my tongue out and she stared at me with blinking wide eyes. I left, slamming the door behind me.

But as soon as that door shut behind me, all the anger and jealousy that had overtaken my body and heart completely disappeared. I felt instantly sad again. "Buttercup… you jerk," I muttered to myself as I sadly made my way back to my room.

* * *

Even though Buttercup had just broken my heart once again, and gave me a clear rejection, I still couldn't help but think that she had to love me, and I was the one for her. She just couldn't love anyone else besides me, right? I had to be the most special to her. Not some _girl_ who turned her down five times. 

I knew Buttercup had to know this. She just couldn't quite see it yet.

The next day, after school I agreed to go home with Princess to begin tutoring her. As we passed through the hallways of the school, I saw Buttercup at her locker with a pretty tall girl who played with my sister's hair as she put away a book in her locker. She had really short hair that was almost like a boy's haircut. It was died a bright red. I recognized her. I had her in my Biology class last semester. She died her hair different wild colors every month or so. Her name was Julie. She was a real nice girl. But now that I discovered she was dating my sister, I couldn't seem to recall that last fact about her.

Princess led me behind the school where a long limousine waited. A tall man waited beside the large vehicle; he opened the door as we approached. Princess slid into the limo and I did the same.

It was huge inside. I couldn't hide my surprise. I gaped at the size of the vehicle and all its little gadgets. There was a TV set, with a DVD player and it appeared to have cable, judging on the program that was currently playing. There was a small bar, filled with soda pop of all different kinds. The seats were a deep, beautiful purple with gold trimming.

"Impressed?" Princess said playfully bouncing her hair pom-poms. She gave me a satisfied smirk, "This one isn't the one I _usually_ ride in. My regular limo is far too big to fit in the school's parking lot, you see."

I only smiled at her.

Soon, we arrived at the Morbucks mansion. The tall driver opened the door for us and I thanked him. Princess led me to the huge entrance of her palace where another man dressed in a suit waited to open the door for us.

"We'll study in the biggest and best room we have here!" Princess smiled as she led me to a golden elevator.

"What room is that?" I asked. We stepped inside the elevator and the doors closed. "The library?"

"_No!_" Princess laughed. "My room, of course, Silly!"

"Of course," I smiled, rolling my eyes a little. I should have known better.

The elevator stopped and we stepped off onto the fourth floor. Again, a man in a suit stood at a door just ahead, waiting for us. He showed us inside, closing the door behind us.

It was as big as a football field. Princess's bed alone had to be at least twenty feet long and thirty feet wide. Everything was either a purple or pink and most everything had some gold to it as well.

"This is my bed" she said beginning to give me a tour. "These are my fish. I've been asking for a bigger tank so that I can also have a pet dolphin, but Daddy says he's having trouble tricking the environmentalists who don't want me to have one."

We walked over to a long wall filled with framed pictures. Most of them were of Princess herself.

"This is me, and this is me, and this is me and my kitty, Fluffy. Oh this is me and Daddy in Paris!" she plucked the picture from the wall and hugged it tenderly. "It was our last vacation together," she said petting the photo.

I studied it. Mr. Morbucks was a fat little man, with a head of thinning grey hair and was quite ugly. I wondered where Princess got her looks, because she looked nothing like him. Princess was quite thin, though I guess she wasn't terribly skinny either when compared to her fellow cheerleaders. Still, she was of less than average weight, unlike her father. He had greasy skin, while she had the softest skin with very light freckles. Of course she had that curly red hair as well, and Mr. Morbucks' hair was straight as can be and very stringy looking too.

I then noticed Princess in the photo. She looked so young. She had to be no older than six-years-old. "Your last vacation together?" I asked.

She nodded, still gazing at the picture lovingly with a small smile. Her eyes were glazed slightly. I felt my heart sink for her. As spoiled and rotten as she could be, it was a shame that her dad neglected her so much. She gently put the frame back in its' rightful spot, and we moved on to the next photo.

"This was my mom," she said pointing to a photograph of a woman. I stared in awe for a while. She was beautiful. She looked almost exactly like Princess, only with a much kinder expression, and looked to be in her mid-twenties. She had a big smile, as she cuddled an infant baby in her hands who had to have been Princess.

"What happened to her?" I asked.

Princess pouted her lips and quickly looked away from the picture. "She died when I was a baby," she said so matter-of-factly, moving on to the next picture.

"This," she said taking the frame from the wall, "is my boyfriend, Jake."

"Oh yeah, I've seen you two together at school," I said.

"Yeah, we've been dating for six months," she said, tilting the picture to one side and studying it. She then suddenly threw it over her shoulder with a crash. "But, it's over between us. I decided earlier today," she said.

"Why?"

"Because I don't really like him. He was cute. But I found someone _cuter_!" She said clapping her hands.

I frowned. "How can you just dump him so quickly though?"

"It's not like I was in love with him or anything!" she laughed.

"Then why were you with him for so long?" I asked.

She shrugged, heading over to a big plasma screen television set, and turning it on. She plopped down on a small pink sofa.

"That's pretty mean," I said with a frown.

"Is it?" she asked.

I nodded, crossing my arms.

Princess stared at me, blinking for a while. "There!" she said pointing a finger at me. "There's that look again! Oh!"

"What?"

"That mean look you gave me the other day. There it was again." She tossed a fluffy pink throw pillow at me, and I caught it. She then gasped. "That's it, isn't it?!"

"What's _it?_" I said throwing the pillow to the ground.

"Bubbles is having man troubles," she smirked.

"I am not!" I argued placing my hands on my hips.

"Oh please!" she laughed a little. "You totally are! Bubbles, I'm on the Cheer Squad. I _know_ man trouble when I see it!"

"She's not a man!" I yelled stomping my foot. I immediately clasped my hands over my mouth.

Princess blinked at me for a moment and then grinned. "Wow!" she exclaimed. "Wow! Wow! Wow!" she laughed some more. "Bubbles?! _Cute, baby Bubbles…_ is a _lesbian?!_" She fell onto her back on the sofa, holding her tummy and laughing. "Wow!"

"Shut up!" I yelled. "I am not!"

"Honey, that's what it's called when you're in love with a girl!" she said sitting up.

I blushed a little. I never actually thought about my sexuality before. I wasn't sure if what Princess was saying was exactly right, but she seemed to have a better idea of me than I did at the time. "Don't tell anyone, okay?"

"Fine, fine," she said twirling a curl around her finger. "It's totally cool, you know? Lesbians are pretty 'in' right now, if you know what I mean!" she grinned. "And boys think they're hot!" she laughed.

"Can we please just start our Spanish homework?" I said taking off my backpack and letting it fall to the floor.

Suddenly Princess gasped. "I've got it!" she said.

"What?"

"I'm going to be a lesbian!" she clapped her hands.

I just stared at her for a long time. "…Princess, I don't think you can just--"

"Oh, this will be so much fun! The other cheerleaders are going to be _so_ jealous!"

"But, Princess you can't just--"

"Oh!" she looked at me. "_You're_ a lesbo!" she declared pointing at me. "Do you want to date me?!"

"Uhh…"

"What am I saying?!" she said with a laugh. "Of course you do!"

"But--"

"Just look at me!" she said proudly. "Look!" she grabbed her breasts, "These are _real._ Most rich teenagers don't have real boobs! But look at mine! They're the biggest on the Cheer Squad _and_ they're real!" She giggled a little. "Yours are pretty nice looking and big too. See?! We're perfect for each other!"

I didn't know what to say. I sighed and sat down next to her on the little pink sofa.

"Do you think your sisters will let me join the Powerpuff Girls when they find out we're dating?"

"Princess, we're not--"

"You're right; it'll take some time before they'll allow that."

Princess sat there, bouncing up and down in celebration for a long time before she noticed I wasn't smiling. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Princess… I don't think I want to date you…."

"Why?!" she frowned. "Oh," she said. "You're in love with another girl, right?"

I nodded. I didn't feel like bringing up the fact that she's tried to kill me before.

"What's this other girl think of you?"

"She… she said she loves me… but…"

"But you can't be together. That she has something or someone that's more… let's see… _special?_"

I stared at her, in complete amazement that she was able to so easily guess all that.

Princess huffed. "Sounds like every man whose broken all my friends' hearts so many times." She shook her head. "So she's with another girl?"

I nodded. "Yeah. And it's also kinda--"

"Complicated."

"Yeah."

"Yeah, I know how _that _is," she said, lying on her back again. She stared up at the golden ceiling. "So why not date me until she wants to give you a shot?"

"I dunno, Princess…."

"Oh, come on!" she said sitting up. "Besides. Does she go to our school?"

I nodded.

"Perfect! See?! She'll see us together and be totally jealous! Then, you'll have her!"

I thought about this a little. "You sure?"

"Yeah! Totally! Please, I've seen _so many _of my friends get guys this exact same way!"

I took a deep breath. I couldn't believe what I was about to say. But after this short afternoon, I somehow felt closer to Princess. Maybe she wasn't as evil as I thought her to be. She was just spoiled. Spoiled, and sadly neglected by the only family she had in the world. Besides, she seemed like she was willing to help me with Buttercup too.

"Okay," I said.

"Really?!" she exclaimed, jumping to her feet.

I nodded. She squealed and began to dance in place. I couldn't help but smile at how ridiculous and silly she looked dancing around in one spot in such an excited state.

"Yay!" she shouted, pulling me onto my feet and swinging my hands around, trying to persuade me to join her in her little dance. I giggled and bounced with her a little, starting to feel a little excited about maybe being able to get Buttercup through Princess's plan.

"I'm dating a Powerpuff!" Princess sang.

She leaned forward and I stopped bouncing when I felt her lips on mine. She pulled away and continued dancing. I stood there frozen for a while, as I felt a slight feeling of regret for the deal I just made, but shook it away quickly.

Princess suddenly gasped and stopped dancing. "We need to go shopping!"

"Why?" I blinked.

"So we can buy adorable matching outfits of course!" she said. "Oh, that reminds me." She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a golden cell phone. She pressed a few buttons and then held the device to her ear. "Hi, Jake? Hi. Listen, Honey but we need to break up." She paused for a while and I heard muffled shouting coming from the other end of the phone. "Yeah, yeah. Sorry, Jake. But guess what?! I'm a lesbian! So you see, I just can't be with you! Bye!" she hung up the phone.

She grabbed my hand, "Come on, Bubbles!" she said starting to lead me away quickly. "We've got shopping to do!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Autrefois**

* * *

_A/N: Sorry for not updating this sooner. I got carried away with my other current fic "Villain." I just thought I should let everyone know that there will about three more chapters of this fic before it comes to an end. Wow, I can't believe I've almost finished this lol._

_Also, an amazing artist, jessathegreat, has begun turning this story into a fan comic! If you would like to see it (and you should because it's SUPER CUTE) you can find it on her deviant art account: jessathegreat dot deviantart dot com._

_Also, sorry this chapter is so short!_

* * *

**Chapter 5**

About fifteen matching outfits later, and a quick stop at the mall's salon to get my hair a perm so that it now looked similar to Princess's hair pompoms, we finally finished our shopping adventure. I arrived home at about nine o'clock at night, and everyone was in the living room watching TV. I was overly embarrassed standing there with several large shopping bags and my hair all done up with a tiny tiara sitting on my head, when I was supposed to be out tutoring Princess for just a couple hours.

The Professor, Blossom and Buttercup just blinked at me. I must have looked like an exact clone of Princess only with blonde hair and blue eyes. "Hi," I blushed, not waiting for their replies, quickly retreating to my room. However, it wasn't long before my sisters busted into my room, demanding an explanation of my appearance.

"Bubbles! You haven't joined forces with that evil brat, have you?!" Blossom exclaimed.

I took the tiara from my head, "No… not exactly…."

Buttercup and Blossom exchanged glances. "What?!" they shouted in unison.

"Oh, I knew it was a bad idea to have you spend the day with a villain like her! Now she's gone and brainwashed you, hasn't she?!"

"No!" I interrupted. "She said she'll be good from now on," I said. "We've kinda… become friends or something…." I started blushing again. I tried to hide it and quickly started hanging up my new outfits in my closet.

"Or something?" Buttercup repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," I said. I didn't know what to say. I wanted to tell them that Princess and I were now dating, but I didn't know how. I wanted at least Buttercup to know. That was the whole point of it all. But I just couldn't say it. I was too afraid. "Well, she's really not as mean as we thought," I said. "Did you know she hasn't spent really any time at all with her daddy since she was six?" I frowned. "I don't care what she's done to us before. I know she has a good heart. She just doesn't know how to care for people all that good 'cause well… she hardly has anyone caring for her."

My sisters exchanged glances again.

Blossom sighed. "Okay, Bubbles…. Just try not to get _too _friendly with Princess." Blossom sat down on my bed, and I sat down next to her. Blossom was about to play the mother role that she played from time to time for Buttercup and I. "Just try and remember she's our enemy, okay?" she began, "Enemies aren't always truthful and you should be careful. I know you're heart is in the right place, Bubbles. I just don't want you to get hurt or used by Princess. I just wouldn't go so far as to describe your relationship as "friendship" if I were you. You know how Princess is; she'll take that title and do who knows what with it."

"Well," I began, swallowing hard. "We aren't _friends_, Blossom." I looked at Buttercup who stood in front of us, with her arms folded and somewhat of an angry look.

Buttercup shook her head. "There's something she ain't telling us, Red," she said with a huff. She walked over to the other side of my bed and began peering into my shopping bags.

"Buttercup, I'm sure Bubbles wouldn't keep secrets from us when we're dealing with our enemies here!" Blossom said.

I looked at Buttercup who stared with wide eyes into one of my shopping bags. She seemed frozen like that, as if she had just discovered something utterly horrifying. I then realized what she saw and quickly leapt forward, snatching the bag from under her nose. It was one of those picture booth photographs-- the kinds with four different shots. Princess insisted that we take them. The first shot was of us smiling. The second was of us smiling with even bigger, exaggerated grins, showing off our sparkling white teeth. The third was of us making silly faces, with our tongues stuck out and everything. And the fourth…

"Why the hell are you kissing Princess Morbucks on the fucking lips?!" Buttercup shouted, snatching the bag back and retrieving the photo. She held it close to her face, blinking at the last shot with a look of disgust.

"What?!" Blossom exclaimed, and soon she was studying the picture too.

"W-We're… we're… dating…" I stammered.

There was a long pause of silence as my sisters just stared at me. I trembled, not knowing what exactly to expect, but guessing that it wasn't going to be pretty. And then they both erupted at the same time, shouting a million things at me all at once.

"Bubbles! How can you be so careless?!"

"Whaddya mean you're dating?!"

"She's tried to kill us in the past before!"

"What the hell do you see in that short, fat, freckled face little brat anyway?!"

"Bubbles, I would expect this type of thing from Buttercup, but not from you!"

"That stupid little redheaded bitch! You don't actually find that girl attractive, do you?!"

"You do realize what this means don't you?"

"You're such an idiot! You can't go out with her! You just can't! I won't allow it! Blossom won't allow it! We forbid you from seeing her goddammit!"

I clasped my hands over my ears, cringing at the sounds of their growing voices. It was then that Buttercup and Blossom shouted two contradicting solutions at the exact same moment.

"You're gonna have to dump this Princess whore!" Buttercup screamed.

"You can never ever break up with that girl!" Blossom shouted at the same time.

My sisters stared at one another for a moment.

"What do you mean she can't break up with her?!" Buttercup yelled at Blossom.

"Buttercup, think about it! Princess is dangerous. She's tried killing us for retribution her entire villainous career! What would happen if Bubbles dumped her? It'd just make Princess even thirstier for revenge!"

"But she can't date that little freak!" Buttercup argued. Her cheeks flushed pink then. As guilty as I felt, I was glad to see that happen.

"She's just going to have to continue to date Princess until the girl grows tired of Bubbles," Blossom said.

"What?!"

I only then realized what was happening. How dare my sisters do this to me. How could they debate something like this in front of me? Okay, so I wasn't in love with Princess, and I was just "dating" her to get the person I did love, but… they couldn't just decide what was best for me. What did they know? How could they not consider my own feelings?

"Get out of my room," I mumbled somewhat angrily.

"What?" they both said, looking at me with surprised faces.

"You think you can tell me who I can and can't date? Well you can just forget about it, you two! I can make up my own mind and I already have!"

They both just gaped at me for a while.

"Bubbles," Blossom began quietly. "I'm sorry. I just--"

"Aww, forget it!" Buttercup interrupted. "Fine! Do whatever the hell you want! See if I care!" She marched angrily out of my room, kicking my door on the way out.

"Bubbles," Blossom started again after a short pause. "…Do you really like her?" she asked softly.

I slowly nodded. I _did _like Princess, but only as a friend. But of course Blossom didn't need to know this.

Blossom sighed. "Please be careful then, okay?" she said patting my head.

I nodded. "I will."

"Okay," Blossom smiled weakly. She got up from my bed and walked to my doorway. Before she left she turned around and smiled at me again. "By the way, Bubbles, nice hair," she winked.

I blushed, forgetting about my new Princess hairdo. I must have looked like such a dork.

* * *

The next day was a Saturday, and Princess surprised my family by showing up on our doorstep right after lunch time. It wasn't a surprise to me, because she had text messaged me about an hour before her arrival, making sure that I was wearing an outfit that matched hers. 

Princess wasted no time. When Buttercup answered the door, she simply ran past her and threw her arms around me. "Oh my God! Don't we look adorable today! We are definitely going to be voted cutest couple in the Yearbook!"

I just smiled back at her. "Sure."

"Come on, let's go up to your room!" she said excitedly. "Oh," she said after spotting Buttercup glaring at the two of us. "I'm sure Bubbles already told you--"

"Yeah, I know already," she scowled.

"Aren't we a cute couple?" Princess inquired.

Buttercup just glared.

"Geesh," Princess said taking my hand as we began to walk upstairs. "What's your sister's problem?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know."

"She's probably just jealous that I picked you over her," she said patting her hair.

I smiled. "Yeah, that's probably it."

We reached my room, and I suddenly found Princess's lips on mine. She pulled my own body close to hers, and it was really unexpected. I quickly pulled away. "Wh-what are you doing?" I said.

"Kissing you," Princess frowned. "Is there a problem?"

I then could hear with my super hearing Buttercup approaching the room. "No!" I shook my head and quickly embraced Princess again, and meeting her in a passionate, yet totally fake, kiss.

I pushed every horrible and guilty feeling out of my head. I knew what I was doing was wrong, but I felt like I didn't have a choice. I needed Buttercup to see that she loved me and that she needed me. Princess and I kissed for a while before Princess pulled away. "Do you mind?!" she shouted.

Buttercup stood at the open doorway. Her eyes were big with shock. They then narrowed into an angry look. "Learn to close the damn door, would ya?" she spat, slamming the door close.

"You're sisters a perv," Princess said coldly.

"Don't say that," I frowned.

"Okay, okay," Princess rolled her eyes. "Now come on, let's try this again. I want to get a hang of this whole lesbian thing before school on Monday!"

* * *

Later, I found out that Buttercup wasn't speaking to me anymore. 

That night, after Princess went home, I went to the kitchen to get some ice cream. I was starving because all Princess wanted to do was practice kissing all day. I didn't exactly enjoy myself very much. Halfway through, I just started to pretend she was Buttercup. It was really had to do though because the two were complete opposites.

When I entered the kitchen, Buttercup was in there already having a bowl of strawberry ice cream herself. "Is there any left?" I asked.

She just stared straight ahead, scooping the last of the sweet stuff from her bowl, totally ignoring my question. She tossed the bowl in the kitchen sink, and just walked out. She didn't say anything. She never even looked at me.

I felt horrible.

I found myself some ice cream in the freezer and made myself a little sundae. I sat at the kitchen table and began eating it by my lonesome. I wondered if my little plan to make Buttercup jealous was even worth it. I was beginning to feel that I made a huge mistake.

"Bubbles, can we talk?"

I looked up and saw the Professor. He had been locked away in his lab all day as usual. I nodded. "Sure."

The Professor sat down next to me. "So," he began sounding a little nervous. "Princess Morbucks, huh?"

I blushed. "Yeah," I answered after swallowing a spoonful of ice cream.

The Professor seemed even more nervous. He shifted in his seat, and his eyes moved from side to side. His knee shook and he played with his fingers. I could tell he was just trying to be a good father, and tell me that everything was okay and he understood. He was just trying to do the whole speech he gave Buttercup when she came out as gay. But if I remembered correctly, it took him about an hour before he could spit out the word "lesbian."

"Professor, it's okay," I said with a smile. "You want to say that you accept me for who I am and will always be here to support me, right?"

My dad blushed a little. He chuckled nervously. "Yes! Uh, that's exactly what I meant to say!"

I smiled. "Professor?"

"Yes, Sweetie?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"About what, Dear?"

"About us," I said. I didn't know how to explain what I meant. "About me and my sisters. …Are we… _really _sisters?"

"Well, of course you are!"

"I know we're sisters 'cause we're a family and everything, but…. I mean are we genetically sisters? Do we share the same blood and stuff?"

He paused for a moment, scratching his chin in thought. "Well, Bubbles… technically no…." He frowned a bit. "But family isn't about genetics, Sweetie. Family is deeper than blood. It's about the loving connections you share with people. You and your sisters are connected, and I am connected to the three of you. We're linked together in a different way-- a special way. We care about each other, and we've always been there for each other, and that's all that matters."

"But how do you know if you're supposed to have a family sort of connection and not a different kind pf connection with someone?" I asked.

Professor frowned. "Well, I don't know," he said. "Bubbles, are you and your sisters not getting along because of this whole Princess thing?"

"Well… _sorta_," I answered quietly.

"Don't you worry," he said standing from the table. He leaned forward and planted a kiss on my head. "You three will always be sisters. No matter what happens, you'll always share that bond. That I can guarantee," he smiled.

I smiled weakly back.

"Goodnight, Bubbles," he yawned.

"Nighty night, Professor."


End file.
